The credit hour originated around the turn of the 20th century, when the industrialist-turned-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie moved to create a pension system for college professors. Pensions were reserved for professors who worked full time, which ended up being defined as a minimum of 12 hours of classroom teaching per week in a standard 15-week semester. That’s why today, credit hours determine eligibility for student financial aid and graduation (you generally need 120 for a bachelor’s degree).
Interesting read, but it felt more like an introduction than an article. |But the most promising solution would be to replace the anachronistic credit hour with common standards for what college students actually need to know and to be able to do. There are many routes to doing this. Like what? Measuring knowledge is not a trivial task. (See also: standardized tests in public schools.)
We human beings have such a strong desire to categorize even the most subjective of experiences. How do you measure intelligence? How do you measure learning? You can get a rough approximation, but tons of people slip through the cracks that are left. We've all heard stories about smart grandparents who never spent a day in college and worked mechanic jobs their entire working life. The article tries to increase attention to a problem, but it doesn't offer a solution. That just makes it a weak article, but maybe someone will see this and focus on finding a solution.
Under the current system and with the current economy in the US, I would guess that college is unnecessary for 30-50% of students. Most skills can be learned on the job for many of these students, and they aren't getting much out of college except for debt or much less cash on hand. Many universities simply use the inflation of job market educational requirements as a cash cow, making it easy for students to get in, pay them, and get out. The unecessary requirement of a college degree for many jobs has become a new mortgage that doesn't appreciate. With the glut of these easy in-and-out programs, I'm surprised that some colleges haven't worked to distinguish themselves by being very demanding, aside from the usual suspects.
Many employers now expect over-education of their employees. I think post-secondary education is unnecessary for quite the majority of jobs in the United States, but since everyone goes to college now, why shouldn't they seek out grads, even if it isn't necessary? Students see all these employers demanding degrees even for low-level jobs, so they think they must go to college. It's a positive feedback loop.
At my college engineering students must complete 5 liberal arts/non-major related courses along with completing at least a concentration (3 additional courses) in a subject of their choice. While this adds to the rigor, these courses are generally easy and don't add much to acquiring a job out of college. If anything, they prevent students from being able to graduate earlier than scheduled. I feel it's a matter of viewpoint, but I don't feel that engineering students should be forced to take say, cultural anthropology, in order to fill a requirement.
My undergraduate was in physics, however when the professor was good, I found my liberal arts electives to be very valuable. I actually had a 'music appreciation' class that I got a lot from, just because the instructor was so knowledgeable and passionate. My biggest problem is with fluff that costs a lot. But I do feel that a proper education is a well-rounded one.I feel it's a matter of viewpoint, but I don't feel that engineering students should be forced to take say, cultural anthropology, in order to fill a requirement.
|My biggest problem is with fluff that costs a lot. One solution would be to charge different rates for different subjects. Of course, that would likely end with engineering and science credits costing more, not music appreciation credits costing less.
I agree with this, what I dislike is how some of the requirements are defined. I don't believe that a student should be forced to take x number of humanities courses, along with y number of arts of expression courses. I think the system would be better served having a requirement for general education, but not defining the subjects that must be taken. Allow the student to explore his/her interests. I have taken some very useful and interesting courses, but have also taken some worthless ones due to being forced to choose between a narrow selection to complete some requirements.